Catalogue of the cabinet of curiosities of the anatomical theatre of Rotterdam, founded in 1642. Although anatomy theatres were originally established to teach anatomy and medical and surgical techniques to students and barber surgeons, some became a public attraction. This catalogue lists the no fewer than 573 curiosities including 245 minerals from all over the world, listed in a separate section.The catalogue lists 328 anatomical specimens, displayed in several rooms and cabinets. Some are the more “common” specimens one would expect to find in an anatomical theatre, such as human skeletons and human organs (including kidneys, a liver, a heart and a windpipe), mostly from executed criminals, but also a lot of animal skeletons and organs (including horses, a peacock, seals, sharks and eagles). The first cabinet in the first room contained mostly stillborn babies and their organs. People must have been amazed by the enormous number of more remarkable curiosities, such as the rib of an elephant, the penis of a whale and even the snout of a large swordfish, as well as the kidney stone that Jan Jansz. de Doot famously removed from his own body.

Digital facsimile from Google Books at this link.